Abstract

An emerging deep-sea mining sector is interested in the polymetallic seabed huge sulfide that are no longer hydrothermally active, but environmental management of mining is difficult due to the lack of ecological research and environmental baselines for inactive sulfide ecosystems. This article reviews the current state of knowledge about the ecology (microbiology and macrobiology) of inactive sulfides with special focus on environmental management issues where a lack of understanding prevents informed policy recommendations and judgments.